Arnika
by artificus
Summary: Jim Hawkins attends an expedition, to test out a new type of ship. On thier jourey the crew of the Cygnus finds the lost civilisation that built up Treasure Planet: Arnika.
1. Prologue

Many thousands of years ago, a mysterious race dominated the Etheruim. Their vast knowledge and advanced technology appeared like magic to the former residents of the galaxies.  
The Arnikanian's ideas and findings in ethics and research were the base for today's cultures.

Over many centuries they had a huge impact of life in a large part of the Etherium in an era of prosperity and peace ...

... until they suddenly disappeared 3000 years ago...

* * *

11 years ago on the external corners of the borders between the Empire and the Arcturian Kingdom a unique astronomical phenomenon occurred, in the vernacular known as the "Death Zone".  
The minor star Agaya disappeared from the night sky, extinguished within a few minutes. A gigantic dark fog field spread around it. In this field there was no solar wind, and every ship which ventured into it was lost.

A few years later the Empire placed the order with the engineer Professor Lambrick to construct a ship which should no longer be dependent on solar wind for locomotion.

As is so often in history, this had less to do with visionary thinking than with economic interests.  
Some important trade routes of the Empire were in the area of the zone, so that trade with solar crystals (a resource the Empire doesn't have at its own disposal, and which is essential for the manufacture of ships and technology) has been severely hampered because it took months to circumnavigate the zone and was correspondingly costly.

After years of research, prototypes, countless defeats and vast sums of money, Lambrick achieved his life's work;

The R.L.S. Cygnus.

This ship would be the first that would pass the 'Death Zone'.

It would be an expedition whose incredible discoveries and the subsequent events no member of the crew would ever have expected ...


	2. Chapter 1

The first year at the Interstellar Academy had begun very well. Jim was interested in all his subjects, had liked to learn and had excellent grades. He was glad that - thanks to his scholarship - he was able to benefit from such an education.  
Even his daffy room mate Rick, an enormous, broad-shouldered and absolutely blockheaded alien from a stinking rich family couldn't trouble his high spirits.

In the first days on the Academy every conversation, every piece of aimless Smalltalk, every inconsiderable chat had the same scheme:

"Hey, what's your name?"

"Jim Hawkins... Nice to meet -"

"JIM HAWKINS?! The Jim Hawkins who found the Treasure Planet?"

"Yes, that's me…"

"Wow! Tell me! What was it like?"

"Uhm, I really don't want to bore you"

"Please…"

Jim told the story about a thousand times, again and again until he even bored himself. After some time the whole Academy knew about it which meant that Jim was given some peace for a short time…  
But the whole attention Jim received was a thorn in somebody's flesh.

After a few weeks everything started to change. All teachers seemed to knock the stuffing out of him. They found always reasons to put him in detention or to rate his work wrongfully bad. They tried to make it as hard as possible for him, in the hope that Jim would resign and "make room... open up a place for someone who really deserved it", he heard his math teacher Mr. Peabody saying in one conversation.  
But with "really deserved" he didn't mean glorious and brave efforts…

The reason was Jim's unusual origins. They had the opinion that nobody, whose parents weren't less than owners of an interstellar shipyard or of a purp plantation, had the right to study at this elite-academy.  
Although Jim was more than qualified for all his subjects he was sniggered by his mates. They asked him always, why he would try so hard, it wouldn't become something of him anyway without the necessary money.

The worst of all was Gerald, of all people the son of one of the richest families in this part of the galaxy, who earned their wealth with several goldmines and were just swimming in money while their workmen drudged for a starvation wage. Gerald was a muscle-bound alien with small, always sneaky gazing eyes, which were on the same level as his short nose.  
He had a poor character and all but no charisma, but always a plump filled moneybag and furthermore he was the captain of the football team. Two reasons why the girls were crazy about him. Everywhere he brought Jim into difficulties. Jim ignored him and it worked for some time until someday Gerald and Rick took the spontaneous decision to be best friends from now on.  
From this day on the whole stinking rich clique hung around in Jim's and Rick's room and deprived Jim of his sleep.

The members of this exclusive club were Johanna, daughter of a successful doctor, who simply concentrated on the little aches and pains of multimillionaires, Alice and Jacqueline, who couldn't stand each other because they were the daughters of two rival family businesses, Pete, whose father was the president of the harbour authority, Rick, Gerald and his girlfriend Connie, the only and moreover very pretty humanoid of the group, whose parents owned a famous hotel chain. They solely talked about money, tattled about other students and argued permanently about who wore the newest fashion or who drove the fastest space plane. All this lead to Jim barely staying in his room.

Who was this Jim Hawkins anyway? Gerald, whose mission was to attract attention, couldn't understand why the people were impressed by Jim's little adventure. At least he was the richest person on this planet…

* * *

Some weeks later. One nice day in the cafeteria during the lunchtime some cheerleaders sat down, uninvited, next to Jim. Of course they were members of the upper ten thousand.

"I have a question for you, Joe", said Christie, the leader of the Cheerleaders.

"Jim."

"Did you say something?"

"My name is Jim."

"Oh, no matter", she mumbled and chewed her chewing gum.

Jim couldn't help but to throw a disgusted look at her. Even for the alien norm this girl was dressed up unnaturally; she and her friends had thick tiers of make-up in their faces, extremely teased up hair, artificial and too long finger nails and all of them wore the same short tricots though there was no football season at all. All told, there sat four nearly identical alien-girls. Jim could only distinguish Christie from the others because she chewed gum… everywhere, at all times.

"Is it true that your mother is a waitress?" she asked ? His mother - a waitress? That was an insult! At last they owned a noble tavern, which his mother had built out of nothing after Jim's father was gone. Anger came up in him, but he forced himself to stay calm.

"Who told you this?" Jim asked irritated.

The Cheerleaders shared triumphant glances and smiled. It was a cruel expression.

"I'm sorry for you, Jack…" Christie continued, pretending sensitivity. "I'm sure it's not easy to throw away the entire future."

Jim was too puzzled to react; he could only stare, appalled at her.  
Suddenly Christie slid very close to him and laid her hand on his shoulder. The touch lamed him like a poisoned dart.

"You could've been so rich!" she cried, full of excitement, and her long finger nails gouged into his skin.

"The loot of the thousand worlds was yours! You were richer, had offered more gold than all of us together! But you blew it up!" she laughed beastly, turned around and she and her friends disappeared in the laughing crowd.

Jim tried to understand what was happened right before. Sure, normally it wouldn't be a problem if his mother was a waitress, but here, on this academy full of snobs it meant public suicide. Who had begun the rumour? Who could want to inflict such malicious damage on him?  
Jim looked around in the refectory and found the answer immediately.  
Everyone was practically rolling around in laughter except for one person. Gerald sneered over at Jim. It seemed that he was greatly enjoying this moment.  
In that moment, when Jim saw Gerald's face, he recognized that it was useless to do something against or to get upset about it. What could had he done? What had it changed? He was powerless and he resigned himself to that fact… he began to believe in it. In fact he gave up and even if he didn't think of it consciously, he felt deep inside that he had lost… and Jim hated to lose.

* * *

So time passed and Gerald made sure that it wasn't an agreeable time. From now on Jim was 'the idiot who blew up Treasure Planet'. Gerald did everything, from filling Jim's locker with sand to sticking together the pages of all his books. But Jim was further more affected by himself than by Gerald's teasing. Jim started to hate himself for being so passive and letting such things happen without resistance. But with him his destructive self-hatred deadened with the time. But that wasn't the only change… sometimes he had the feeling that a part of him had died, the fierce part which never put up with any kind of nonsense. It gave way to powerlessness…


	3. Chapter 2

_A few months later..._

The year was almost over and most of the students were busy studying for their final upcoming exams. Jim had to write a math exam the next day. After his classes were done, he retreated into his and Rick's room and was pleasantly surprised when he found the room empty. Jim sat at his desk, which stood in front of the window. The sun hadn't set yet, but some nearby stars gleamed already, and the crescent moon of the space port Crescentia was already above the horizon. It was a beautiful evening; warm and windless.  
The others would probably be at the lake or in any dance hall in the city until late at night. Therefore, Jim would have enough peace and time to study.

It wasn't that Jim was a crazy workaholic, but he simply couldn't afford to be even a little below the average. Otherwise, he wouldn't have the opportunity to repeat the year, and he would have to leave the Academy without further ado, because the steering committee would revoke his scholarship. Then they would be finally rid of this "poor fellow"...  
Gerald and the others were something else. They could be as bad in school as they wanted - as long as their families payed the high fees, they were secured.  
Jim had just opened one of his books, when the door burst open thunderously and a giggling gang of stinking rich snobs stormed into the room.

"Hi Jim!" said Gerald casually as he settled with Connie on his bed.

"I hope it doesn't bother you if we spend this nice evening at home," Rick said with an unnatural conciliatory tone.

Of course he hoped that it would bother Jim; that was the only reason that they were here at all. But Jim got blunt within the last months and so he just sighed resignedly.

"Make yourselves at home," said Jim, but nobody seemed to listen. He grabbed his books again. Normally, the others wouldn't spend any attention to Jim when he left, and they would immediately start chattering about some other useless stuff - who had the fastest space glider or who would inherit their place first - but this time all of them remained deadly silent and observed Jim. It was a very unpleasant situation, but Jim tried not to dissemble and left the room as fast as he could. He heard their talking again after he had closed the door. _Certainly a new prank..._ Jim sighed tiredly and walked away, without wasting another thought on Gerald.

Jim went into the library to study, like he did almost every day. Usually he sat there for hours, quiet as a church mouse and studied, without someone paying him the slightest attention.

* * *

At the same time, Cheryl made herself ready for going out - which meant to dress as dark as possible. The young budgie-girl (Avis) from Jim's grade, put her feathered head through a black hooded sweatshirt. She pulled the hood over the brightly colored feathers on her head.  
She had her last exam today, and because the first two hours of the next morning had been cancelled, she could go out a little.  
She was in a really good mood for a change and whistled happily, while she stowed her writing utensils in her backpack.  
Her room neighbor Marissa and her oh-so-great friends had all been out to paint the town red. Cheryl didn't want join them; she had nothing to do with these people. Though she actually was one of them, since her father was an admiral in the royal fleet.

She wanted to enjoy this, for this time of the year very warm evening at "her place"; a small clearance in the forest behind the Academy, next to a small creek, where she used to relax and could pursue her only passion: writing.  
However, she was not totally convinced that she was able to find this place in the dark...  
but she couldn't be grieved by it.

The exams were finally over and the summer holidays would start in three weeks.  
Perhaps she could convince her parents during the summer to send her to another school.

She left the room and sneaked down the long corridors. Nobody was allowed to leave the area of the Academy alone. She had to make sure that nobody saw her. The best route would be through the west wing. That was a detour, but she was certain that she wouldn't meet anyone there at this time of the night.

The light of the sunset colored the walls blood-red and golden. It was a wonderful evening which promised the early arrival of the summer.  
On her way, Cheryl came across Rick's room. She knew Rick and Gerald as well, and quickened her pace.  
She didn't know why everyone was afraid of Gerald, but she hadn't the slightest desire to find it out. She used to evade these people and behaved inconspicuously when they were around.

When she almost arrived at the stairs she suddenly heard the dreek of a door being opened. Cheryl's instinct told her to go further, but for some reason she hid behind the next corner and watched what was going on.

If one of them saw her, she could forget about her relaxation.

Johanna, Alice, Jaqueline, and Connie came from Rick's room. Cheryl couldn't stand Connie because she obviously thought she was something better. In fact, Connie was quite right about that, because all the girls at the Academy wanted to be like her.  
The girls talked with the guys, who were still in the room, and looked around warily. Cheryl clearly recognized Gerald's and Rick's voices, but there were still others whose voices she didn't know, but there were certainly more than three guys there.  
Suddenly she heard Gerald's cruel laughter, in which the others joined. Then the girls disappeared in the opposite direction.  
Cheryl didn't understand a word, but she knew that there had to be something fishy about that.  
She was just about to leave and not intervene, when she suddenly remembered who Rick's roommate was.

The poor guy... Gerald had it in for Hawkins since he was here. That was reason enough for many cadets to evade Hawkins. Strangely she had a certain sympathy for this brunette Terran, although she had never spoken a word to him - Cheryl automatically liked everything these snobs didn't like.  
Suddenly she had a very weak feeling in her stomach.  
Gerald had something in mind again.

She remembered when she had studied for her exams in the library, she had often seen Hawkins there.

_Wait... you have nothing to do with it. Mind your own business!_

Cheryl stood in the entrance hall of the west wing; all she had to do was to walk through the huge archway and outside into the wonderful, calm, warm evening.

_Everyone knows that Gerald can get very rough ..._ she thought worriedly.

_So what? If you interfere you'll be next in line!_ thought another part in her.

Cheryl didn't know how long she stood there, before she decided to do the right thing.

* * *

Jim blinked; his notes started to blur in front of his eyes. He wasn't the only one who was still studying at this time. Almost all classes had the last and most important exams these days, so several alien students were scattered in the giant hall, where they sat at the great mahogany tables and studied.  
Jim yawned. It was pointless, he was getting too tired. He could hardly focus on his books.  
Actually, he wanted to pack up his stuff and just sleep, but unfortunately Gerald and the rest of his gang had already written their exams and they were able to spend the whole night up there in his room. He yawned again and went back to work.  
Suddenly he noticed someone coming up to him slowly from behind.

"Erm, hello," he heard a shy girl's voice say, barely audible.

Jim turned around. Behind him stood a young Avis-girl, that Jim only knew by sight. She was dressed entirely in black and the hood covered her face, so that he could hardly see her eyes. In her hands she carried a heavy math book.

"Hello," he replied, confused. Since Gerald had made up that rumor, it was uncommon that other cadets talked to or even noticed him. "Erm, you - you're good in math, aren't you? So... I thought... you could help me with this?" she asked shyly, and sat next to him at the big table.

"Actually this is a bad time, I'm busy with - wait a sec..." Jim looked at her skeptically.

"Cheryl, right? Cheryl Fethar?"

"Yes ..."

"From Mrs. Thurgood's class, right?"

"Yes..."

"But you had your last exam today... why do you want me to help you now?"

"Erm... I... uh, I always prepare as early as possible for the next exams... in... three months..." Cheryl paused, somehow things didn't go like she planned them.

"I'm sorry, but I have no time right now. I've got my math exam tomorrow, you know... and I urgently need to catch up a few things..." Jim said slightly irritated and leaned back over his books.

_Now they suddenly come to me... only if they need something!_ he thought annoyed.

Cheryl was sitting beside him, like a cat on a hot tin roof. She knew that Gerald would make life miserable for her when he found out that she interfered... But she also didn't want that somebody got harmed.

"Why don't you study in your room?" Cheryl asked, even though this connection was rather clumsy, but she couldn't think of something better.

"Because Gerald and his gang have a party there - could you leave me alone now?" Jim was slowly losing patience. He was tired, exhausted and annoyed.

"Gerald is a mean bastard..." Cheryl whispered. Scared, she looked around. Hopefully nobody heard anything.

"Oh, really?" Jim responded sarcastically.

Then he added annoyed: "Listen, I really need to -"

"He's not afraid of using brute force!" Cheryl interrupted him with a warning whisper.

"I can imagine myself..." Jim said casually. "Cheryl, nothing against you but beat it! You're really starting to get on my nerves now!" he said, annoyed.

Cheryl was totally stunned. She wanted to help this guy and he was so harsh to her?!  
She got a knot in her throat and stood up. She couldn't bear it if someone talked to her like that...

Insulted and hurt, she left the library.

* * *

Jim awoke abruptly and realized that he didn't know where he was. Around him, it was dark, and only the small green reading lamp on his table shone in a pale green-yellow light and was apparently the only source of light across the whole library. The other people had left the library long ago, while Jim had slept. He was all on his own.

_Thanks, for waking me up!_ he thought cynically. Nobody here seemed to care about him. To them he was just like air... no, less than air.  
Exhausted, he grabbed his stuff.

When he returned to the Academy, it was already dark. The corridors were dark and cool, every step echoed from the walls. But besides that noise he heard nothing... everything was empty.  
Just like him...

Jim felt empty in an unpleasant way, as if he was only a lifeless shell... what had happened with him in the recent months? Usually he had always fought, and had defended his opinion... but now...  
He thought of the library... he had hidden there, nothing more...

_I simply have no chance against them, so why should I try at all?_

This resigned this thought - that had marked his life in the recent months - forced upon him again.  
Suddenly something stirred in him, so bad that his guts cramped painfully... that was probably his last remaining self-respect, which just passed away. Jim felt queasy and weak, and leaned against the cold, rough-textured wall of the corridor for a moment. He touched the rough wall... it was good to feel something. After a short time, he continued his way without any other emotion...

Suddenly he saw a stripe of light that seemed to flow on the corridor from a narrow crack in a door. Suddenly the stripe disappeared, the careful closing of a door was heard... then again there was darkness... and silence.  
Jim knew from which room the light had come, and he was also sure who was waiting there for him. Nevertheless, he went on. For a moment he thought of Cheryl and that she had tried to warn him.

_Why am I doing this? I know exactly what they will do when I enter, so why am I going through this door?_ He asked, shortly before he opened the door.

The cold, resigned voice answered like the sharpness of a knife.  
_It's not as if you would have another choice. If they don't get you now, they'll get you at another time, but they will get you. You can't escape. So you better get it over with._

He opened the door ... Inside the room it was even darker than outside.  
Before Jim had closed the door completely, he got a sharp pound in the back, and another in his side. Jim crashed to the ground... more blows and kicks hit him... He didn't know how long this torture took, the pain droned through his body and drowned out any other senses.

"Is he still conscious at all?!" Jim thought he recognized that voice. Was that Rick?  
Suddenly, he was packed and pushed with brute force against a wall, so that he thought his chest would burst. He was brutally shaken.

"Com'on! Fight!! It's only half the fun if you don't fight back!" Gerald voice hissed, spitting into Jim's face. Jim gave no answer, he didn't resist at all.

"Listen, you parasite! You think you can act up like the hero here! But here you are nothing! Nothing! Got it?!"

"That's enough! He's fed up..." said an unknown voice.

Gerald grunted and struck Jim a few powerful blows in the stomach. Then he grabbed him and threw him against the cabinet.

The door slammed. Then there was silence in the darkness again...

Jim felt an unbearable pain in his torso and spine. He avoided to move and finally, in a couple of hours, managed to fall into a painful asleep.


	4. Chapter 3

The next morning, Jim woke up in a huge amount of pain. He lay in an uncomfortable position on his back and breathed heavily. He needed all his strength just to struggle on his knees. When he had done, he looked down his body. His chest felt as if it was burst open, but everything looked normal.  
He looked around. Rick wasn't there. He had probably spend the night somewhere else. The place where Jim had hit the wooden cabinet door with his back, had a big flaw. Through the window he saw the bright blue morning sky.  
Automatically, he looked at the clock. There were only 15 minutes until the exam began.  
Jim held his stomach. In that condition he could never -

He didn't dare to complete the thought. That was what Gerald wanted. He wanted to hold Jim off this exam because he wanted him to leave the academy.  
Suddenly he had the metallic taste of blood in his mouth. Tears rushed into his eyes.  
He would not give in! Not this time!  
In pain and with some effort Jim succeeded to struggle on his feet, cursing.  
But after he stood staggering for a few seconds, he felt so queasy, that he almost vomited.  
Gerald had really done a good job.  
Jim thought of going to the hospital ward to get an attestation. But he knew his math teacher.  
He wouldn't accept such a 'last-minute' attestation...  
No. He wouldn't chicken out!

Each step chased a stabbing pain through his body, forcing him to walk very slowly. As always, nobody noticed him, but this time Jim was surprised about that fact. He had to look terrible, but nobody seemed to care about.

"What is that?" Gerald and hissed, almost swallowing his donut. He stood with Rick on the gallery in the big hall and looked how Jim went along below.

"Hawkins," Rick answered.

"Yes, you idiot! I can see that!" Gerald moaned and gave Rick a blow to the shoulder. Then Gerald grabbed a sepia boy with blue skin, who was hastening along the corridor, by his arm and pulled him to the railing.

"Do you see this, Andy?"  
The boy named Andy followed Gerald's gaze and gasped in surprise when he saw Jim.

"Take care about that!" Gerald commanded and let Andy go.

"Man, I've a math exam now, I have no time -" Gerald silenced Andy with a mocking glance. Then he came slowly towards him. Andy backed off, until he stood with his back against the wall. He gulped.  
"As far as I know you are not in the position to refuse me anything" Gerald whispered. His voice sounded cruelly friendly.  
Andy looked away, as if this situation would dissolve by itself, if he ignored him.

"Or do you want me to tell the people - and especially your family - a few spicy details about you-"

"Okay! Okay!!" Andy interrupted desperately. "I'm already gone!"  
Gerald grabbed him.

"Make sure that he fails that exam, or I will ..." he didn't finish the sentence. Instead he gave Andy, who was a head smaller than him, a dangerous glance.

"Got it?" Gerald asked again, and let him go.

"Got it..." Andy gasped and then he ran away.

* * *

Jim looked puzzled in the mirror in front of him. Gerald and - most likely - Rick and Pete, had wisely spared his face, so that there were no obvious signs of last night's torture. He was a little pale, had slightly dark circles around his eyes, but that was everything.  
Jim had still eight minutes before the exam began. It was quiet in the men's room, he was the only one there. Jim propped himself on the sink with both hands and took a deep breath. This however turned out to be extremely painful, when a burning pain shot through his lungs.  
He continued the mathematical formulas in the mind again. Then he turned the tap on and wetted his face. The cool water did him good and damped his headache a little bit.  
Suddenly, Jim heard how the door was opened.

"Ah! There you are!"

Jim looked up, wiping the water from his forehead with the back of his hand. Between him and the door stood a blue-skinned sepia boy with crossed arms and gave him a steadfast glance. The tentacles on his head moved around restlessly like snakes. The guy simply stayed there and stared at him.  
Initially Jim didn't understand the situation, but then he recognized the voice again.  
It was the voice that he wasn't able to recognize last night.  
He started to panic!  
Jim stormed towards the door to the corridor, but the pain made him slow. Before he was able to cross the half of the short distance, he was grabbed by Andy and pushed back inevitably.  
For a moment Jim forgot the pain and gave Andy a strong blow right into his stomach.

"Bastard!" he cursed and gave Jim a blow into the ribs. Suddenly the pain was back! Worse than before, so that Jim couldn't breathe anymore. His knees gave in, but Andy pulled him up forcefully and pushed him in one of the toilet cubicles. Then Andy slammed the door and locked the handle from the outside with a broom.  
Then Jim was alone again.

Jim's breath went short and violent. His vision was fuzzy, and it took a few moments until he could see properly again. The pain of the blow went like an echo through his whole body again and again. Preferably he would have liked to simply remain here. But then Gerald would have won. That was no option.  
With renewed strength, from which he had no clue where he took it from, Jim struggled back on his feet. It was not too late yet. He could still be there in time.  
But his enthusiasm was damped, when he pressed the handle and the door didn't open. Jim tried it harder, but nothing happened. He pushed down the handle and threw himself against the door with his shoulder, but that didn't work either.  
Moreover, it was rather painful.  
Jim examined the cabin. It was too close to the bottom to crawl and Jim doubted that he was able to climb over it.  
He closed his eyes, and gripped to the wall of the cubicle with both of his hands. Then he tried to imagine Gerald ugly grimace. Anger rose in him and his muscles tensed. Then he kicked with all his strength against the door. The whole cubicle trembled. He kicked a second time and a third time, but before the door gave in, the cubicle would rather collapse. Suddenly Jim felt dizzy. He let his head drop on chest and tried not to faint.  
Then, suddenly, Jim's muscles tensed again and he gave the door one last desperate kick, with which he actually only wanted to express his frustration. But contrary to his expectations, the door fell off his hinges. Jim lost the balance and fell painfully to the ground.  
Surprised he looked at the door, that was laying on the floor.

"Better late than never!" he gasped breathlessly.

Then he struggles hastily on his feet and somehow dragged himself to the examination room.

You could've cut the air in the examination room with a knife. The tension and the nervousness seemed to let vibrate the air in the room. It was quiet, everybody expected the unavoidable in silence, while Mr. Peebody went up and down in front of the blackboard, looking at the clock every ten seconds.  
But Andy didn't realize too much from that. He had sweat on his forehead, but not because of the exam.  
What had he just done? He had beat up a boy, he didn't even know, just because -  
He pondered. He wanted to apologize for his behavior, he hadn't have a choice, but his conscience made him feel queasy anyway. But perhaps it was just from the blow. Suddenly, the work sheets lay in front of him, with numbers and graphs and other confusing stuff.  
He felt sick when he had to remember how infernal Gerald had bashed Hawkins last night, while Andy had stood there like a stupid child and did nothing to stop him.  
That made him as worst as Gerald.

"Mr. Morse, are you alright?" Mr. Peebody asked worried, pulling Andy out of his thoughts.

"Everything's okay, Sir!" Andy stammered.

"Good. Ladies and Gentlemen, the 120 minutes start" He looked at the clock "Now!"

With this command everybody in the room bent over their tasks. Mr. Peebody stood motionless for a moment, while his gaze wandered over the rows. Suddenly his expression darkened. Andy followed his gaze and looked over his shoulder behind. One of the seats was free and Hawkins wasn't here.  
Somehow Andy was relieved. He had done what Gerald had demanded him, so there was no reason for him any more to blab certain things ... preliminary.  
And for Hawkins it would be better anyway, if he was away from here.

* * *

When Jim reached the examination room, all students had lowered their heads and calculated the tasks.  
Although he had moved not very quickly (which was simply not possible), he was quite out of breath.  
He stepped into the examination room and sat down at the last free table.

"What do you think you're doing here, Hawkins?!" Mr. Peebodys voice sounded threatening.

"Sir, I -"

But Peebody didn't even let him finish. He began to shout, as none of them had ever experienced it before. All of the students became pale, except of Jim. This deadhearted emptiness spread inside him again, that let him see these kind of situations as completely meaningless, because he couldn't prevent it anyway. So why should he try at all?  
He sat relaxed in his chair, while Peebody made a sally, that he had prepared weeks ago already.  
So Gerald finally got what he wanted. He won. He had won from the beginning already. Jim never had a serious chance. But he noticed that only now.

* * *

A short time later, Jim was sitting in secretariat, supervised by a three-eyed snail-secretary ... She peered bossily over the edges of her glasses.  
"... and damage of school property!" she ended the list of Jim's delicts. She clicked her tongue, as if she had never expected something else from Jim.  
He smiled bitterly ... His mother wouldn't be thrilled if he explained her, that he flunked out of school a few weeks before the first year was over...  
He held his stomach. The pain was dull and not as painful as before, but that made it still not very pleasant.

Suddenly the dean's voice sounded crackling from a small speaker: "Mrs. Gardner, would you please bring in the documents?"  
The snail-secretary, Mrs. Gardner, slowly crept into the dean's room.  
When she was vanished, Jim took the opportunity and disappeared inconspicuously from the secretariat.

* * *

Meanwhile Sir Rotherfold, the dean of the Interstellar Academy, received the files of several students, among them also Jim's file. He scrolled briefly through all of them and mumbled thoughtfully to himself. Then he handed the documents across the huge table to an admiral of the Imperial fleet, who set in a armchair on the other side of the table.

"Here, Admiral Townson, you should know best what skills the cadets need for this mission. I can only vouch, that these are the best of the best...", Sir Rotherfold said. After a short pause, he continued:  
"I ..., please forgive me, but I still don't fully understand... What is this mission about exactly? You have to understand, I am responsible for these young people and -"

"Excuse me, Sir, but as soon as your cadets are on the R.L.S. Cygnus, I will be responsible for them." the Admiral interrupted "And the mission is top secret" he added.

Admiral Townson, who seemed almost too young for this rank, looked at the files, without giving any further explanations..  
Rutherfold, however, by nature very curious, began to slide back and forth on his chair restlessly until he finally was no longer able to contain himself.

"Is it a test flight with this new ship type the rumors talk about?" he asked with wide eyes.

Townson stood up without looking at him, putting on his hat.

"Until tonight, Sir." was everything he said, before he left.


	5. Chapter 4

Jim had just enough money to pay the ferry from the Academy to Montressor, with a stopover at the Space Port Crescentia.  
When the ferry reached the space port, Jim thought of the first time he had been here. The last stop before a great adventure. Suddenly he remembered Silver, and he had to admit that he missed the old cyborg. Where did he bang around right now? Did he remember Jim at all? He had really expected to receive at least one letter from Silver, but until now it seemed as if he had never existed.  
Jim had to take another ferry to Montressor, but there was a lot of time until the start. There was nothing else to do but wait. He would have liked to look around in the city, but he couldn't drag himself through the crowded streets with this huge pain. Moreover, he felt very uncomfortable in the mass of people. Instead Jim preferred to remain in the shadows, watching the scenario from the outside. And he hoped that he wasn't noticed by the others as well.

Jim observed the many creatures that walked by. He wasn't in the best area of Crescentia. Most people who came across him looked poor and wrecked. Beggars, shady dealers, girls from the brothels and the one or two drunken sailors.  
These people made Jim thoughtful... First he wondered how somebody could go off the rails of society like that, because it was clear that you didn't chose such a life voluntarily. On the other hand, he already knew the answer.  
He was at such a point in his life himself. At the moment he had no intention to complete his education at the academy, he would only return once more to get the rest of his stuff. However, he also had the hope that this weekend at home might change his opinion.

When Jim looked out the window of the space ferry Montressor filled out already more than half of it, he could hardly sit calmly in his seat.  
His mother would be all excited to see him, and Doppler and Amelia, the kids and BEN and Morph...!  
Only now he realized how much he had missed them all. He couldn't stay under deck any longer. He went upstairs and saw Montressor in its full splendor.  
Most people saw only a mine-perforated rock, where it seemed to rain constantly, but for him it was the most beautiful place in the universe right now. No matter what happened, to this place he would always return, and he would always be welcomed with open arms.

The ferry flew below the clouds and the crew prepared everything for the landing maneuver.

Jim left the ferry with a strange feeling ... He turned around and looked up into the sky in order to search for the planet where the Academy was, but it was cloudy and night had fallen already, so that neither the planet nor any starts were visible.  
Jim hated to give in. If he really wouldn't return, Gerald and all the others had won. He couldn't leave them this satisfaction! But it was too late. Certainly, a letter with his school expulsion was on its way already.  
The pain in his body suddenly became stronger when it came to his mind, how hurt his mother would be if he disappointed her again. He sighed resignedly and went into the weakening twilight in the direction of the Benbow Inn.

* * *

"Sarah, you have to tell him! I don't want to press you to do it, but you've lost way too much time already. The holidays begin soon and when I'm back Jim would - "

"Oh, Max, we talked about that thousand times already..." Sarah Hawkins interrupted the attractive gentleman, dressed in white star fleet uniform. He sat right in front of her and held her hands. She pulled her hands away and buried them in her lap.

"It's not the right time yet! I still need some time ... I can't tell him ... not yet ...", she gave Max a helpless glance.

"I understand..." he said with his deep baritone voice, and it almost sounded as if he would really understand her.  
Sarah loved this deep voice that gave her an incredible safety and she loved these green-blue eyes, that seemed to look right into the depths of her soul... she loved Max...  
A few weeks before her son Jim had left to attend the Academy, she had met Max for the first time at a party with Doppler. They instantly liked each other and had talked the entire evening. And when Jim was gone, they met each other again ... and again ... and again... But for some reason she lacked the courage to tell Jim until now. And now, since they knew each other for almost one year, it was probably too late...  
Suddenly, Sarah jumped up.

"I doubt that you understand that! How should you?!" Now she ran back and forth across the room. The last guests were already gone long ago, and a flickering fire crackled in the fireplace. She felt how her voice turned to a shrill shriek, but she was no longer able to control it.

"You can understand nothing of what I say! You've no idea what I feel! How are you supposed to know that?"

She turned around and almost bumped into Max.

Her eyes filled with tears, she didn't try to suppress the sobs anymore.  
Sarah closed her eyes and only felt how strong arms embraced her, as if he never wanted to release her and protect her from everything. With Max she felt safe ...

"I am afraid to tell him ... what if he doesn't like you? What if he hates me for this? What if he abandons me?" she said, tears running down her cheeks.

"I don't want to lose him..." she whispered. Max then took her chin and pushed it gently upwards, so that they looked into each other's eyes.

"If Jim is really so smart, as you say, and if he really loves you, he will accept it. He wants only that you to be happy"  
He bent a little forward to kiss her.  
"- just like me..."

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Sarah and Max both turned around. It knocked again.

"That'll be Delbert and Amelia" Sarah said, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

"Mmm ... now?" Max said confusedly and looked at the clock.

"They are an hour early!" Sarah noticed, puzzled.

It knocked a third time.

"I'm coming! One moment, please!" Sarah said. When she went to the door, she tried to pull herself together again. Recently, she started to cry for every little reason. She was so fragile and sensitive, that even Delbert had become suspicious. She opened the door and expected to see Amelia and Delbert.

But outside stood just a brown-haired boy, now half a head taller than her, who smiled at her expectantly.

"Jim?"

"Hi Mom!"

"Jim!" Sarah cried in excitement and jumped into her son in her arms. Then she released from the stormy embrace again, but therefore overwhelmed him with kisses.

"Oh, my boy! How are you? How's school? Why didn't you tell me that you come for a visit? How long do you stay? Did you grow? Have you -"

"Wow, wow, wow, Mom... Calm down! I'll stay over the weekend, so I'll have enough time to tell you everything" Jim laughed and pushed her gently away from him.

Suddenly, a pink, speeking blob shot towards him with an incredible speed.

"Morph!" Jim exclaimed cheerfully. He'd have to leave Morph here, because pets were not allowed in the Academy.

"I'm sorry that I had to leave you alone for so long!" The small shape shifter cuddled chirping against his cheek, while Jim stroked him. He had thought about to simply take Morph with him, however, in the Academy he could only stay in his room, and that wouldn't be good for the little shape shifter. Here he had enough space and action at least. In fact, Morph was quite useful in the kitchen as a rest-eater.  
"And where is B.E.N.?"

"Babysitting" Sarah answered with a smirk. While Amelia and Delbert were here for dinner, BEN should take care of their children.

"But tell me," Jim began more quietly and looked around, "Do you still have guests?"

Sarah replied with a surprised look.

"No ... The Inn closed an hour ago..."

"So, whose that space glider over there?" Jim asked innocently. Secretly, he hoped that his mother had bought this magnificent vehicle.

In her mind, Sarah gave herself a kick. For a moment she had forgotten everything, she had only felt the joy of seeing her son again. But this feeling now turned to total horror.  
Suddenly there was this Max-problem again and the fear that Jim would abandon her because of that.  
She just wanted to invent some lame excuse, when a deep voice rescued her from this misery.

"That's mine" Max said dryly. He buttoned up his uniform and put on his hat. He looked very professional and neat. He took his hat off to Sarah.

"Thanks for the coffee ..." he said to Sarah. Then he gave her an expectant glance, just like Jim. First Sarah was too stunned and didn't really know how she should interpret it, until she understand.

"Oh, of course. Where are my manners? Jim, that's uh -... uh -"

"Admiral Maximilian Townson. Nice to meet you!" Max said and shook hands with Jim.

"Jim Hawkins" Jim introduced himself.  
He smiled only for the politeness sake, but his glance was suspicious. What made this guy so late here? And of all things it was an admiral! For getting away from such military snobs, he had left the Academy, only to meet one of these guys here in his own home! He hated them, especially when they grinned so slimily at him like this guy!  
He surely felt really cool now with his stupid glider!

"Alright... uhm, Jim, just go inside... and I'll bring Mr. - uh Admiral Townson to the door" Sarah stammered.  
Jim smiled at her and went into the living room. There, he sat down and tried to find a position, so that the pain was bearable.  
His mother was completely beside herself with joy to see him again!  
Sarah looked after him and only when he was out of sight, she dared to look into Max's face again.

"I'm so sorry that you have to leave now..." she whispered.

"It's okay, honey, I have to leave anyway..." he replied.  
They now stood in the doorway. Sarah leaned against the door frame and took a deep breath. Only now, she noticed that her heart was racing and her hands trembled.  
Hopefully, Jim hadn't noticed! She had seen his eyes, had immediately felt that he couldn't stand Max...  
What if he found out that -...?

"It's better when I leave. The admiral said, "Too much trouble is not good for you two..." He gave her a loving smile.

He gently touched her cheek, and Sarah put a hand on her belly. They knew it for a few days now...  
Sarah was pregnant.

"And it seems like Jim is enough excitement for you"  
Sarah was not able to reply anything to the attractive, charming and intelligent man. She just smiled at him. Max returned her loving glance. He took off his hat, looked around briefly and then bent down to her (Sarah in turn, rose up on her tiptoes), to kiss her.

"Mom?" cried a voice from the living room. Sarah immediately took a step back from Max. Had Jim noticed anything?

"Mom?"

Sarah looked around anxiously.

"Don't worry ... He didn't see anything" Max whispered and put up his hat again.

"Two months?" Sarah asked quietly.

"Maximum" Max answered bitterly. Actually he didn't want to leave her in her condition.

"Probably I'm back sooner. Don't miss me too much!"  
He gave her a wink before he stepped out of the weak light of the Inn into the darkness.  
"What's the matter, honey?" Sarah asked, as she went into the living room. Jim sat on the couch and rummaged in the mail that had arrived today.

"Did I get any letters?" he asked casually, though he really wished that a letter from Silver would have arrived. When Sarah denied, and hastily took letters from him, he tried not to show his bitter disappointment.  
Sarah quickly looked through the stack of letters, until she found what she was looking for and let it disappear into her pocket. It was a love letter from Max ...

"So ... who was this guy?" Jim asked disdainfully. Sarah got a knot in her throat.

"A ... uhm - a friend of Amelia ..." she stammered - and that wasn't even a lie. "He wanted to stay for dinner, but Amelia and Delbert come later than planned... that's why he had to leave. But now you are here! How is school?" she asked, to change the subject.

She breathed a sigh of relief when Jim started to talk about the academy - so he had noticed nothing.


	6. Chapter 5

Actually, he wanted to tell her everything, but when he saw his mother's happy expression, and how she urged him with curious questions, he had no other choice.  
Everything he told her was a shameless pack of lies. Nothing was true ... But what could he do? He didn't want his mother to be worried about him (again).

Not today....  
She would learn the truth soon enough anyway.

Jim was interrupted when someone knocked at the door.  
When Amelia and Delbert entered, Morph flew happily a few rounds around their heads. They were surprised, yet happy to see Jim.

During the dinner Jim tried not to dissemble that he didn't eat a single bite, so it was only alright with him that Delbert drew everybody's attention when he began to talk about a new invention. One of his scientist colleagues managed to construct a ship, which was able to move without solar wind. That attracted Jim's attention too.

"But how is that possible?" He asked incredulously.

"Well, my dear Jim," The Doc began, "it's really not that complicated" he paused and thought for a moment, "Well ... actually it is very complicated! It would take hours to explain it to you - shortened of course - and you in turn, would need weeks just to understand -"

"It's a matter-antimatter drive" Amelia interrupted, who had watched her husband with an amused smile until now.

"If the material reacts with the anti-matter, there is an explosion. The resulting impulse gives the ship the necessary speed" she said dryly, stealing his husband's show.

"Wow!" was all Jim could say. He thought of the unlimited possibilities. One could explore areas which had never been seen before. Such a ship was no longer dependent on the capricious weather! You could even cross the feared 'death zone', where many ships were lost already, because there was no solar wind, that would have carried them out again...

"Let's change the subject!" Amelia said cheerfully, because she had really no desire to listen to one of the tedious science recitations of her husband again. She didn't do it only for her but for the others as well.

"Jim, how are things going in the academy?" said Amelia interested.

Jim once again repeated the same lies that he already told his mother ...  
At that moment he began to despise himself. He didn't know why he invented all these lies at all. He was aware that they would learn the truth sooner or later anyway, so why had he still to perform this theater for them? To keep up the illusion only for one day or two?  
It was as if he would see himself from the outside. Smiling and laughing they listened to him, believing every word he said. And when he saw them, he even began to believe all this crap himself. He didn't fool only them, but himself as well... Although he laughed when he had finished, he could have vomited.

Finally, it was quite late; Sarah stood up in order to clear the table.

"Wait, let me do that," Jim stopped and took the dishes from her hands. Sarah looked at him in surprise.

"I'm not so old that I need help to bring the dishes into the kitchen!"

He grinned at her and pushed her gently back into her chair.

"Today, I clear the table, " he said, and before his mother could add anything, he had disappeared with the dishes in the kitchen.

Jim didn't want his mother to slog all day. She had worked enough during the day in the tavern. But that was not the only reason.  
He needed a short pause. In the kitchen, he leaned back against the door and held his hurting side. It was dark. Morph moved cautiously around Jim's head and looked at him anxiously.

"I'm alright" he lied to the small shape shifter.

He carried the dishes to the sink. Morph had transformed into a torch and lit Jim's way.

* * *

The Dopplers had put on their coats and left the Benbow Inn. But before Delbert went out, he turned around again.

"Have you told Jim already?" he whispered. Sarah looked anxiously around. Then she shook her head.

"Do it before he finds it out on his own..." he said, and smiled gently, "There is no reason to be scared... He will surely be happy for you!"

Then he left the Inn and went to his wife in the carriage, which was drawn by two giant running snails. Sarah stood in the doorway and waved them goodbye.

She would tell him now! She would have to work up all her courage, but she would do it! Why was she actually worried at all? What should happen? Delbert and Max were right. Of course Jim would accept it and maybe he would be even happy!  
A little timid she went towards the kitchen.

Jim put the clattering dishes into the sink. He had eaten nothing the whole evening, because the ache in his chest had spoiled his appetite. He felt sorry for his mother because she had really prepared a wonderful meal.  
He sighed exhausted and just wanted to go to bed.  
Suddenly, his shirt caught on the handle of a drawer. He pulled it out, freed herself and pushed the drawer back again, without looking inside it. Then he wanted to leave the kitchen.  
Suddenly, the drawer began to tremble, and it seemed as if a muffled squealing came out of it.

"Oh no! Morph!" Jim cried and pulled out the drawer again. Morph shot out with high speed squeaked angrily.  
The pink shape shifter hated to be trapped. He transformed himself into a baseball bat and tried to beat Jim.  
"No, no! Wait!" Jim exclaimed, as he tried to avoid Morph's blows. He pushed back against the drawer. Only now he saw its content...  
And he was taken aback.


	7. Chapter 6

"Letters ...?" Jim muttered, and took a pack of letters out of the drawer.

He examined them suspiciously. They were all opened already.  
Why were letters in the kitchen? Were they hidden here? But why?  
He took one of the letters and unfolded it carefully. The sender was a certain Maximilian Townson ...  
Jim remembered these slimy admiral ... Why did his mother hide letters from this guy in a kitchen drawer? He looked through other letters one more time. The first letters were all from that Maximilian Townson, on the rest only stood 'Max' as the sender. He opened one of these letters and read:

_Dearest Sarah!_

_I hope you feel better. I was very very happy about your letter. It was the only glimmer of light here in this wasteland. Please forgive me that I can't be with you right now. All my thoughts are circling only around you. Thanks for the picture, now I have your face always around me.  
Sarah, my darling, I've thought long about it and I came to the conclusion that we should never be separated from each other so long again... That's why I want to ask you, to beg you whether you want to be my wife. Please think about it ... I love you!_

_Max _

Jim's guts turned.... He couldn't believe it! He wanted to shout angrily and to smash the whole kitchen into pieces! But he couldn't...  
He felt his body became numb, he dropped the letters and he felt queasy... The closing of the door and steps towards the kitchen awoke him from his trance. Quickly he gathered up the letters from the floor, stuffed them back into the drawer and closed it with a hasty push.  
At the same moment the kitchen door opened and his mother entered.  
Jim quickly invented a couple of excuses, that he was very tired and exhausted from the long journey, and apologized. When he could think clearly again, he was already upstairs. His mother wished him a good night from below.  
In his room, he let himself fall on his bed and remained there motionless. All the anger, the despair, pain, frustration, fear and hatred were mixed into a dull, paralyzing pain that made his pulse race, but paralyzed his body.

* * *

Sarah was relieved ... She hadn't been completely sure whether she was really able to tell Jim about Max today. She looked up the stairs, her son just disappeared in his room.  
Tomorrow morning, right at breakfast, she would tell him!

Outside it was dawning... Through the window Jim could see the milky gray sky. He hadn't slept the whole night. He had lain awake, looking out the window, until it was light enough that he could make out the silhouettes of the familiar objects that were standing around in his room.  
Normally his whole room, the smell and the whole atmosphere filled him with a soothing familiarity, warmth and comfort and let him forget about everyday life. This was his little kingdom.  
But now everything seemed - lit by this ugly, pale light of this morning - unkind and repulsive.  
Jim sat up. The pain throbbed in his temples and his chest. He rested his elbows on his knees and put his head in his hands. He tried not to think of the last evening, but it was hopeless. The thoughts forced their way into his mind, he was powerless against it.

"I can't believe it..." He muttered over and over again in a feverish chant.  
Morph awoke Jim from this trance with a silent chirp. The little shape shifter tried to cheer Jim up by making a bunch funny things, like transforming into Mr. Peebody, slamming his own head with a hammer.  
As Jim let his head drop into his hands again, Morph snuggled against his cheek. The little blob couldn't understand why his owner felt so bad.

"I've shaken hands with that guy ..."  
Jim recalled yesterday's meeting and he realized that his mother kept this 'affair' deliberately secret from him. She had openly lied to his face. She surely had enough chances (in recent weeks, or even months?) to tell him about that! But she didn't!

Suddenly, a realization forced in Jim's mind. He wanted to keep it out, but he didn't have the strength.

"She doesn't need me anymore ..." he said quietly, he wasn't even aware that he spoke it aloud.  
"She lives her own life .... in which is apparently no place for me..." he thought bitterly.

"And I'm old enough to live my own life too..."

* * *

"So, everything's ready!" Sarah said. She and B.E.N. looked with satisfaction at the richly set breakfast table.  
Everything should be perfect if she would tell Jim the news. She had gotten up extra early to prepare his favorite meal: terran pancakes with purp syrup. She had almost worked excessively.

"Is there a special occasion?" B.E.N. asked curiously. "Could bribe the judge of Sagonour with this meal!"

"Thank you!" Sarah replied, without answering the question.

For a moment she wondered whether it was harmful for the baby when she worked so hard, but she pushed this thought away. Everything would be okay, finally they would be a real family again. This thought made Sarah's heart beat faster from anticipation.  
"You can get Jim. He asked for you yesterday!" she said, and took off her apron.

But Jim was coming down the stairs already, with a backpack over his shoulder. He looked bad, he was pale as a sheet and a dark shadow lay over his eyes.

"Morning Mom, morning B.E.N." he muttered, without looking at them. The words were difficult for him.

"Jimmy!" B.E.N. cried happily and hopped up to him. But the gaze Jim gave him made him stop.

"What is it? Are you sick? Perhaps you've eaten something wrong. That doesn't mean your Mom isn't a good cook! You are a fantastic cook Mrs. Hawkins!" he babbled while Sarah wanted to put her hand gently on Jim's forehead to feel his temperature, but he avoided her.  
B.E.N. had fell silent and stood next to Sarah.

Sarah froze. What did happen?

Jim turned his back to her without saying a word, he went to the coatrack and took his jacket. He didn't deign to look them, he simply put on his jacket and opened the door.

Sarah held on the banister, a terrible certainty overwhelmed her all of a sudden... She had seen this picture once before...

"This is exactly how your father left us... without a word of farewell ..." she whispered with a hoarse voice. Her eyes filled with tears.  
Jim turned around, but he avoided to look into her eyes... He wanted to say something ... anything.

He closed the door and left.

After he had crossed half of the way to the space ferry station, Jim remembered that it would have been better if he had taken his solar surfer with him...

"Oh, what the heck, I won't go back...", he thought furiously ...

After two very strenuous hours of strait walking through the small, dingy towns and villages of Montressor, Jim reached the port. And there already was a ferry landing. Jim quickened his pace as best he could. He reached the ferry just as all the passengers had got out (there were not many), so he got in and looked for a seat.


End file.
